Siera Begaye, Influencer + Producer
photos by Tomás Karmelo Amaya
Yá'át'ééh Shí k’é do shí Diné
Tabaaha nishłį́
Tsé Ńjíkiní bashishchiin
Bilagáana dashicheii
Tsi’naajinii dashinalí
Ákót’éego diné asdzáán nishłį́
This is how Siera Begaye identifies herself as a Diné woman from the Navajo Nation.
For me, visual medicine is creating and bringing a particular type of energy to a project. This type of energy is abundance-based, culturally based, and morally based. I was raised with the belief that whenever you create, you’re giving a part of yourself. So with the projects that I’ve been able to be a part of, I want the audience to walk away feeling good. Feel-good content is what I’m all about and what I’m moving more towards in my career.
“I was raised with the belief that whenever you create, you’re giving a part of yourself. So with the projects that [i’m] part of, I want the audience to walk away feeling good.”
With that energy in mind, collaborating with communities or individuals is something extraordinary felt from both sides, and it leads to amazing relationships. Some Indigenous womxn I admire and who I’ve built relationships with are Chelsey Lugar (@chelsey.moves), Kahara Hodges (@kaharahodges), and Tiffany Black (@tifffay). Being able to honor the land and stories of our Indigenous people is sacred to me. They deserve it. They deserve to be honored and seen. I’m so grateful to be able to honor shíké dóó shídiné with this energy.
The landscapes surrounding Page, AZ, are breathtaking. I’m very fortunate to have learned about beauty and important lessons through the environment that raised me. It is said when entering a canyon, you need to go in with a strong and positive state of mind. I see this teaching as a foundation to how I create art. Growing up and exploring with friends led to spontaneous photoshoots with the canyon walls to guide our expression. Being on this creative path led me to meeting my partner and now business partner Tomás Karmelo Amaya. Because we both come from canyon landscapes, we named our business Kanion Productions to focus on Indigenous stories, people, and the land.
“I’m very fortunate to have learned about beauty and important lessons through the environment that raised me.”
This past year I had the honor of being the producer of a short film called Tekona. The main character, which the film is named after, reflects on his family’s teachings while he braids his hair in the early morning and makes deeper connections to his Indigenous identity throughout the piece. I’m proud of this work because it focuses on the mental health of a modern, young Indigenous man. I thought a lot about my brothers and future generations while in production, and how we could support them through their young adulthood. I’m thankful for everyone who came together to collaborate on this project. We plan to extend it and make it into a longer narrative this upcoming year.
in her bag-
I believe in a holistic wellness approach, so thinking of your overall health mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. With that being said, my favorite thing to do after a long day is to use skincare products. I’ve developed a relationship with my products and have thought about it as a form of medicine, especially when I use products from Indigenous-owned companies and know they are respectively sourced and infused with sacred ingredients. My favorite thing to do is apply face oil; I close my eyes and meditate while massaging this medicine into my face, smelling the sweet aromas, and acknowledging my physical and spiritual being. It’s very relaxing and I recommend it. Using these products has helped my self-confidence because I think about my ancestors, who may have used these same ingredients on an everyday basis.
Some of my favorite Indigenous-made products and companies right now:
Well for Culture! (@wellforculture)
Quwutsun Made (@quwutsunmade)
— @sweetsib, as told to Changing Womxn Collective. interviews have been edited and condensed for clarity.